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Friday, June 21, 2013

A Quick Escape to Pico de Loro Hamilo Coast

We had our summer family get away this year here in Pico de Loro Cove. It is a 3-hour drive from Manila. But you wouldn't mind the long drive because the scenery along the way is so refreshing. Especially as you get closer to the exclusive beach clubs. It gets greener and greener and the surroundings look more wonderful. The winding road and those fire trees in Punta Fuego look so lovely. When we saw the beautiful coves from up there, we all got so excited.

so near, yet so far :)

After Punta Fuego, we finally saw a sign indicating we were near our destination. A few more minutes and we arrived at the property entrance. We all said "yes!" only to be told by the Guard that we were not yet there, there. It's 7 kilometers more haha. That's what you call private.

Pico de Loro Country Club

When we finally made it, we went straight to the Country Club for guests registration. Non-owners or non-members have to go through this process first.

country club reception area

There are a lot of guests checking-in so we had to wait for our turn. We didn't mind waiting because everything is very pleasant, plus there's free fast wifi.

country club terrace

The neutral earth color theme is soothing. The view from the terrace is splendid. From there you can see the pool and the man-made lake.

your piece of private paradise

After taking in all its awesomeness, we were finally called. There is a PHP 1,000 Guest Fee per person by the way. It is only PHP 500 during off-season . This will allow you access to the Beach and Country Club's amenities.

Along with the registration process, you will be given a Guest Cash Card. This you have to pay PHP 1,050. PHP 50 for the card itself and 1,000 consumable within the club's premises. You can use it to pay for indoor and outdoor activities and at the restaurants. This card is reloadable and mind you, you have to maintain a balance of at least PHP 100 while you're still staying at the resort. Yes, even if you no longer have plans of purchasing anything. Card expires after a year.

cash transactions? nah i don't think so :)

Good thing our rented property is just a quick walk to the Country Club. We always took pleasure in our walks because the view is always nice.

green is my favorite color :)

At the back of the condo is a pathway to the Club which is at the lakeside. It is literally a walk in the park. I can just stay there and stare at the lake and I'll be appeased. Silence and nature, all I ever wanted.

the Country Club pool

We never wasted our time and immediately went for a swim, even if it was raining. Just floating there in the middle, with mountains and lake in the background is already rejuvenating.

the day i said hello to tankinis

chilling siblings

Swimming pools are open till 10:00 PM. If you're one of those people who don't want to be under the sun for so long, then be a nocturnal swimmer.

if you like some night swimming

We prefer to swim on daylight, so we went around the Country Club that night to check on other recreational activities. Dad backed out on bowling and my brother's weren't able to go gaming because the game station was already closed when we arrived. None of us is sporty too, so basketball, tennis and badminton are all out of the question.

this is the answer! ;)

We ended up in the Music Lounge. My brothers like to sing so, yeah we sang a few songs there and shared some Napolitana Pizza.

singer wanna-bes

The pools look cooler at night. We couldn't help but take some snaps with that on the background haha.

poolside beauties

Drinking session with my siblings followed at our unit's balcony that night. :)

Pico de Loro Beach Club

The next day, we went to the Beach Club early. We just explored the Country Club on our first day. We decided not to take the shuttle service and just walked. We wanted to see more of the property's lush vicinity.

mountains everywhere

Mom and Dad went running earlier that morning. You can also go biking here. You can either bring your own or rent one. They do have a bike trail too.

fooling around at the bike trail

The Beach Club is also walkable from our place (JacanaBuilding) but a little too far. It was still early in the morning, so it didn't quite matter.

We thought that when we arrive there'll be less people, but we were wrong. Seemed like everyone likes to go to the beach while the sun is not out yet.

the very laid-back beach

Do not expect a white sand beach. Come on, it's Batangas. It has a fine sand though it looks very dark (especially when it's wet). The water is very clean too and there are lots of fishes! You can go snorkel and swim with them.

so serene

The Beach Club also has a fabulous pool. If you don't feel like swimming at the beach, you can just enjoy the pool.

see? my sibs and mom were very happy :)

Water activities are also available at the Beach Club. That includes kayaking, scuba diving, jetskiing and wind surfing.

Dad and bro opted to go kayaking. It must be nice to navigate around the cove.

This is how the beach looks like on nightfall.

dramatic lowtide

Nobody wants to swim in the dark anymore.

***

Before we leave the next day, we visited the chapel uphill.

on our way to the chapel

The chapel's name is St. Therese of the Child Jesus. It is very modern and gorgeous. The walls are made up of glass. The backdrop is the breathtakingly beautiful cove of Pico de Loro.

It is actually a very nice place to get married. The place is secluded (not as crowded as the other resorts) and it is God's creation (nature) everywhere you look. I don't know, maybe just my idea of my own wedding. Char haha!

isn't it stunning?

Mountains and trees everywhere! I so love this place.

another view from the chapel

There are so much more activities that you can do here. We just preferred to lean more on the relaxing side. It is definitely expensive but you'll get your money's worth. It is the perfect place to go if you want to break away from the noisy city and want to go back exhilarated. I would actually love to go back for a longer stay.

If you want to find out more about Pico de Loro Club, just click the link. I hope you'll enjoy it too! :)

2 comments:

Hello there! Just to clarify, the Guest Fee per head is different from the Php 1000 prepaid load of the Guest Cash Card. The Guest Fee is NOT consumable, it is the load of your Cash Card that is. Hope it enlightens you a bit. Thanks for visiting my site! =)